Folding sight for fsre-arsvis



N0Mode1.) W. LYMAN.

'FOLDING SIGHT FOR FIRE ARMS.v

No. 396,043. Patented Jan. 8, 1889l ATTORNEYS To all whom, t mayconcern:

ifnirnn Starts artnr Orricn.

VILLIAM LYMAN, OF MIDDLEFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

FOLDING SIGHT FOR FIRE-ARMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,043, dated January8, 1889. Application led J'uly 10, 1888. Serial No. 279,517. (No model.)

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LYMAN, of the town of Middlefield, in theState of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Folding Sights for Fire-Arms, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a folding sight for fire-arms, and has for itsobject to provide spring' mechanism for holding a folding' sight in itsrespective raised and depressed positions, and adapting the same to bereadily thrown into or out of use or turned to present differentsight-apertures or ranges firmly held in each position, but permitting'instant change.

The invention consists of the novel combination, with the folding andfixed parts of the sight, of a crank, pitman, and spring, all suitablyarranged to direct the pressure of the spring upon the folding' part ofthe sight t0 hold it in place at either extremity of its throw, ashereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

The invention is particularly adapted and intended for use in that classof rear sights which are shown and described in United States LettersPatent Nos. 211,7 53, 298,305, and 368,598, respectively granted to meJannary 28, 1879, May 6, 1884, and August 23, 1887.

ln the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification,Figure-1 represents a rear or tang wind-gage sight, suchas is shown in the latter patent above referred to, provided with myimproved spring mechanism for securing the folding part of the sight,which is shown in position for taking aim. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the sight-piece folded down. Fig. 3 is an enlarged verticalsection through the upper part of the sight, lengthwise to the barrel,with the sight-piece raised for aiming 5 and Fig. 4 is a similar Viewwith the sight-piece folded down. Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation of theupper part of a sight having two different sight-pieces or eye-openings,either of which is folded down as the other is brought into aiming' p0-sition. Fig. 6 is a cross-section through the sight-post in the plane ofthe folding hinge designated by the line of; x, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is across-section through the sig'ht-post and pitman on the line y y, Fig.8. Fig. 8 is a front view of Fig. 3; and Fig. 9 is a rear view of thesaine, partly in section. Fig. 10 is a front View of Fig. 5, showing thesig'ht-piece in what corresponds to the folded-down positions of theother figures. Fig. 11 is a vertical section through the sight-post,showing a modification of the spring and pitman formed integral.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the si ght-post, which invarious modifications may be seen in each of the several patents beforereferred to. It is shown mounted in a suitable base, B, and providedwith mechanism for effecting its elevation, all of which is set forth inPatent No. 368,598, and need not be here further described.

The sight-piece proper, C, or part having the sight-aperture o, ishinged to the sig'htpost by means of a screw or pivot, d, which passesthrough suitable ears, e, onthe post and a tongue, f, on the sight,which is fitted between the ears of the post in a nice but free joint,thus permitting Ythe sightfpiece to fold forward from its verticalposition to a horizontal plane.

The sight-post is made hollow from the top down as faras may be requiredto form a vertical circular recess or chamber, g. A spiral spring, 7L,is inserted in the chamber, resting upon the bottom thereof, as shown inFigs. 8, et, and 9. In the chamber above the spring is a sort of plungeror piston, t', which fits loosely in the chamber, resting upon thespring, and has a neck, 7c, or connecting rod, which pro- .jects upwardto the sight-piece C. The upper end of the connecting-rod is formed withan eye, i, and, fitted between two perforated ears,.7 on the forwardside of the sightpiece, pivoted thereto by a pivot, on, thus forming asort of pitman. rlhe position Of the pivot m in the ears is slightlybelow a horizontal plane through the hinge of the sight-piece when thesight-piece is vertical, and the spring 7L is made of the properlengthto press up against the piston 2', and thus hold the sight-piece in itsvertical position.

In operation, as the sight-piece is folded down to, or, preferably,somewhat below, the horizontal position, the spring' h will becompressed, and the pivot m and upper end of the pitman will be carriedpast the deadcenter or vertical plane centrally through IOO thespring-chamber and the hinge d of the sight-piece, as shown in Fig. 4,thus occupying a position to the rearward of such plane, so that thespring presses upward on the rear end of the sight-piece, and thus holdsthe sight-piece folded down.

The position of the pitman-pivot in the ears Z may be varied somewhatfrom that shown in the drawings, it only being necessary that the pivotshallpass the dead-center as the sight-piece is turned, so that thespring will 'hold the sight-piece secure at both extremities of itsswing. As it is most important to hold the sight rigidly in the aimingposition, and as it is more liable to be knocked forward than backward,I prefer to arrange the pivot so that the spring will press on thesight-piece to the best advantage when the sight-piece is in a verticalposition. The arrangement shown is very effective, as it holds the sightsufficiently secure and readily permits the folding of the sight-piecein either direction.

It is often desirable to place an extra sight on a fire-arm, so that onemaybe thrown into use as the other is folded down, or vice versa. Thismay be required for the purpose of presenting two different classes ofsights, two different ranges or sight-apertures, or sights,respectively, of different range and aperture. Such construction isshown in Figs. 5 and lO, where the regular sight C is a peep-sightthatis, a small circular aperture for the eye-and the extra sight C is anopen sight or simple notch, which is used extensivelyv in militarypractice. The open sight-piece C is formed integral with the mainpeep-sight piece C, but projecting at right angles to the main piece onits rearward side. As the main sightpiece is folded down to the positionshown by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, the open sight is thrown up intoaiming position, as shown in Fig. l0. W'ith this construction it is bestto pivot the pitman to the sight-piece, so that its pivot will swingnearly an equal distance each side of the dead-center, and thus holdeach sight-piece equally secure in the position for aiming.

The sight-piece is provided with a stop, n, which strikes against ashoulder, 0, on the rear side of the sight-post as the spring 7L forcesthe sight into the position for aiming, so that the sight is alwaysbrought iirmly up to the same place and not allowed to pass by suchpoint.

Vhen folded down, the front side of the sight-piece comes in contactwith a shoulder, r, on the front side of the post A,.which prevents thesight-piece from being carried too far down by the action of the springwhen folded down. I have shown the sight-piece folded somewhat below orpast a horizontal plane; but its swing may be varied, as desired, bysuitable arrangement of the said stop-shoulders.

In the class of sights here shown and described the sight-piece ishinged above the elevating mechanism; but my improvement is applicableto sights not of this character as well. For instance, if a sight-pieceishinged to the base of the sight, -a vertical chamber may be formed inthe base to receive the spring and pitman, instead of in the sight-post.In such ease the sight-post would be pivoted to the base the same as thesight-piece is now pivoted to the post; but the nature of my inventionwould not be changed by such construction. The form of the spring may bealso varied when it is arranged in the baseas, for instance, a loop orV-shaped spring might be employed with one end held or guided suitablyin the base and the other aff tached to or bearing against the pitman.Itv

will be seen, also, that if the upper end of the spiral spring be leftstraight and formed to project upward from the coiled part of the springsuch straight portion of the wire could be made to serve as the pitmanor connecting-rod by having an eye, t7, bent upon its end and receivedupon the pivot m, as lis shown in Fig. 1l. As the pivot is swung in itsarc, the coils of the spiral part would compress on one side and expandon the other sufficiently to readily permit the straight part i"T of thewire to swing as easily as if such straight portion were pivoted to thecoiled part or simply rested upon the spring, as shown in the otherfigures, which this construction is the equivalent of.

I therefore elaiml. In folding sights for fire-arms, the combination ofa base, post, or supporting part for the folding sight-piece, having aseat or guide for receiving or holding a spring, the folding sight-piecehinged or pivoted to the supporting part and adapted to swing down fromthe vertical or aiming position, stops on the fixed and folding partsfor limiting the swing of the sight-piece, a spring contained or guidedin the supporting part, and a connecting-piece between the spring andthe folding sight-piece in position to swing to each side of the centralplane through the sighthinge and spring as the sight is folded up ordown, and thus direct the pressure of the spring upon the sight-piece tohold it securely in place at each extremity of its throw.

2. In folding sights for fire-arms, the combination of a base orsupporting part for the sight-piece, having a seat or guide forreceiving or holding a spring, the folding sightpiece hinged to thesupporting part and adapted to swing down from the vertical or aimingposition, a spring contained or guided in the supporting part, a pitmanor connecting-piece resting upon and guided subject to the expansion ofthe spring at the lower end and pivoted or hinged to the folding sightFpiece at its upper end in position to adapt the spring to hold thesight-piece securely at either extremity of its swing, and suitablestopshoulders on the sight-piece and supporting part to limit thefolding movement of the sight-piece, for the purpose described.

In folding sights for fire-arms, the comlOO IIO

bination, with the sight-post having a barrel chamber or recess toreceive a spring, of the folding sight-piece hinged to the sight-postabove the spring-chamber, a spiral spring received in the chamber orrecess of the sightpost, and a pitman or connecting-piece attached to orbearing upon the spring at one end and attached or pivoted to thefolding sight-piece at the opposite end at a point forward of a centralline through the hinge thereof and the spring when the sight-piece iselevated and sufliciently near such line to swing by to the oppositeside thereof as the sight-piece is depressed, whereby the spring isadapted to hold the sight-piece either in the aiming or in the depressedposition, as specified.

4. In folding sights for lire-arms, the coinbination, with thesight-post A, having a barrel chamber or recess, g, the foldingsight-piece C, hinged to the sight-post, a spiral spring, h, received inthe chamber or recess of thesightpost, and a pitnian or connecting partfitted in the barrel of the sight-post at its lower end, resting uponthe spring, and pivoted at its upper end to the folding sight-pieceforward of its hinge and in such position that the thrust of the springis brought against the sight-piece to hold it in a vertical position,and when the sight-piece is folded down to press against the saine onthe opposite side of its hinge and hold the sight depressed,substantially in the manner described.

4l/VILLIAM LYMAN.

Witnesses:

LYMAN A. MILLS, IsADELL L. CooK.

